When Waiting
by FullstopBlaster
Summary: Scarlett and Snake-eyes must make a last minute jump from a plane and end up in a snowy cave. The two have to keep warm, and end up being closer than they should on a mission. ONESHOT Nothing overly sexual. SxSE


When Waiting

Completely Scarlett X Snake-eyes written as a One shot of pure fluff and crack …my 30 minute writing exercise gets to be your gain. Pretty much every day I try to sit and write for 30 minutes. It helps me if my brain is really over clocked so this is a way to get everything out of my system and onto paper before I explode…do not criticize things of this nature as these are exercises and not made for complete and utter English teacher red marks…I'm not trying to write proper when I do these just get them out of my head.

3 Felina

He looked at me head tilted "Don't start." I say quietly tossing my hair over my shoulder. "No snake." The ninja made a motion that we were going to have to leave our current location. I could feel the plane shift back and forth. I sighed as he stepped forward putting his arm around me. I reached down grabbing up a satchel of rations and survival items.

The engines were failing, and the plane would go into free fall fairly soon, and if we didn't jump, we'd both be dead. I could smell the burning from the small engines.

[I will protect you…must jump] Snake-eyes kept his gaze at me and motioned me one more time. I nodded [Scarlett…must jump take hand] his hand extended.

"ok." I said and turned taking his extended hand and moving with him to the open door of the air-ship. Snake eyes turned me around and fastened a clip between our belts. He slid his arm around my waist and squeezed and he pushed me forward out of the plane.

As we free fall I see the snow, its cold and it's coming down on me now. It's clinging to me tightly, the cold, as we descend down into the snow covered valley. "Will the chute hold?" I ask turning my head to glimpse him. Snake only pats my stomach. I know it will by this simple admission. Snake keeps my body against his as best he can. He has the chute on his back and I'm just connected to him by a carabineer.

We are pulled back up as the chute is released; soon we slowly start to descend down. I shiver slowly trying to not let the cold get to me or to let my companion know that I'm feeling the impending chill. Our combined weight sends us down onto the ground in a roll and we are tangled up in the chute, as well as each other. Snake stands and quickly, due to my attachment I am pulled up too, he starts cutting away at the lines and pulls the nylon chute towards us to gather it up.

[Are you unharmed?] He kneels down beside me unclipping the line between us pulling me closer with his free hand. I nod slowly [We must move quickly and get out of the inclement weather that is coming.] I stand and grab up some of the rope and strings we will need whatever we can to keep ourselves warm and safe until General Hawk sends a rescue party. Snake motions to a cavern about 200 yards east of our location and I walk up to him.

"Ok let's go." I say and he puts his arm around me and we walk together; clutched close to one another. The snow is deep and despite sliding and slipping a few dimes in the soft powder we make it to the cavern quickly. Before I can turn Snake is setting to work to open the bags we've brought. He pulls out a few items as I sit down on a large rock.

Snake-eyes hands me a comm, he taps the cover and insists I try to communicate with our comrades. I nod and start to press buttons. There's nothing coming up on my screen "Snake …I'm getting nothing there must be large metal deposits in these caves…their blocking my signal." I lift the comm up in order to try to get better signal but it seems rather pointless.

[Will try in a bit help with fire.] He pulls his hands together and starts digging through the ration bag and pulls out a few starters. He moves around in the empty cavern and pulls out a few bits of dry brush, but being so high up in the mountains. Moving slowly to his side I wonder why the hell we are in this mess. I grab up some of the brush beside and look around; I see there are roots hanging from the ceiling.

"Snake look" I pointed up to the roots.

[If we pull them down the roof will come down with them.] He turned and continued to pick up dry brush from off the cave floor.

"Of course…you're right…" I shake my head and follow him a ways. He seems to stop and motioned me back. "What is it snake-eyes?" He shakes his head pushing me back. Indignant I hold my ground and cross my arms over my freezing body. Snake drops the brush to his feet. He lifts his hands up.

[Body…in the back of the cave…froze to death.] He lowers his head [didn't want you to have to see] I look at him and lower my head. As if in some sweeping motion his arms are around me. After a few moments he slides back from me. [Come make fire…then rest]

"Alright." I nod and glance back at the cave and wonder if I should look or not. I decide it's best to do as Snake-eyes asks and get the fire going, if anyone could keep us alive it's Snake-eyes.

The next hour passes quickly. The fire is warm, though small, and it feels so wonderful. I'm seated in front of it Snake behind me his body is also surprisingly warm. I feel him shift and I sit forward. He places something around my shoulders and then pulls me back against him.

I look down, I can see the kanji over the black hooded sweatshirt and I know it's snake-eye's. I turn and look at his black mask. "Won't you be cold?" He shakes his head no and taps the armor over his chest. "You're ok in just that?" He nods and lifts his hands up in front of me around his shoulders.

[Rest…sleep.] He signs, and it takes me a moment as I am looking at them from his perspective. I nod and twist slightly to the right and lay my head against his chest. With my ear on the right side of his chest I can hear his heart beating, it's such a simple thing, but it's something to focus on so I can rest. I yawn as his hand trails over my head and he strokes my hair.

We're on a mission and usually we don't bring out personal life, which is severely intertwined into our work. However we're alone. "Love you." I say quietly under a whisper.

[Love] he signs and I close my eyes. He pulls me tighter against him and we stay still.

I do manage to sleep for a while, and when I wake up I'm still wrapped around Snake. He's got the comm in his hand and he's trying to get a signal out. "Nothing still?" He merely shakes his head 'no'. "Great…" I start to sit up but snake pulls me back. "We can't just sit here."

He motions a hand at me [Must …conserve heat] he points to the cave entrance [Night much colder]

"I know it is." I sigh and try to get that stubborn streak out of me before I unleash it on snake. "So we just sit here?"

[I enjoy your company]

"I enjoy yours too…but I mean we need to try to get that signal out." I protest.

[Hawk will find the wrecked plane.] Snake sighs outwardly and I hear it [There is nothing to worry about just be with me] He lifted a hand and started making shadow puppets on the wall. I laugh slightly and lift a hand and make a little bunny, his response is a dragon that eats my hand puppet.

"That wasn't nice." I laugh quietly and give his chest a smack.

[Could have been worse …he could have broken your fingers.] Snake shrugs and leans forward grabbing a long stick and prods at the flames quietly. He's quiet for a while and then drops the stick to the ground. He turns his gaze on me. [I know this is not what you want to be doing right now but we really do not have many choices.] He pulled me back and leaned against the rock wall behind us.

"That can't be comfortable leaning on the rocks."

[Comfort is not my concern.] I roll my eyes, of course. I settle back against him and just sigh. He turns his head.

"What is it?" I ask softly. He holds up a hand to silence me and slides out from behind me grabbing his sword from the rock beside and stands. His other hand digs into his side pocket and he shifts his weight as he approaches the opening of the cave. He motions me down as I shift. I wait and he lifts a hand and I sit back. After a quick throw of his raised hand, he's gone in a flash.

I should be surprised when he walks back in with a white snowshoe rabbit by the back feet, but I'm not. Snake-eyes would make quick work of skinning the small animal and starts to clean the meat. He reaches in the bag and pulls out a very small metal pan; he'll have to cook it a bit at a time. I smile at him and wonder quietly what's going on in that thick head of his.

[Sorry no ketchup] he signs and I laugh.

"I do not put ketchup on everything." I protest.

[yes you do.] I shake my head at him and I scoot forward closer to the flames.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that…" I say.

[It is alright.] he signs and then returns his attention to the rabbit. I can hear the meat sizzle in the small pan I can smell the meat and my mouth starts to water, I am very hungry and it takes me just a moment before I can realize. I scoot over to him and he looks down at me and nods as I wrap my hands around his arm. He lifts the little pan to me and hands me a metal spork like object.

I take the spork and push it down into the meat in the little pan and take a bite of it. I nod and smile "Pretty good."

[But needs ketchup?] Snake signed at me and I sighed.

"Will you stop." I smacked his hand and grabbed another bite. He sat back and lifted his mask just enough to take a few bites, to get something in his system. Even ninja's have to eat. "You can take it off…I don't mind." I said softly honestly I was thinking it, but my thoughts escaped my mouth.

[It's warmer with it on.] He grabbed another piece of meat. [Not bad] it was a question I think but I can't tell his context.

"No it's not…" I say almost in agreement, and we sit silently sharing the small creature before us, and I'm happy to note it does not taste like chicken. I lean over and put my head against his shoulder. I flinch a moment as his hand rises up and runs from the top of my head down my long hair. I blush slightly and just sit with him as we continue to eat in silence.

We would sleep against the rocks under a thermal blanket, those paper thin tin foil ones. Clutched together I shiver violently I cannot help it the temperature is dipping below 0 and it's getting more snowy out, as well as dark.

Snake managed to keep the fire going despite the limited amount of kindling, and we just wait. The tunnel is suddenly light up "Normally I don't allow Fraternization on a mission."

As I look up General Hawk stands before us. Covergirl comes and lifts me up by my arm. Snake eyes is up on his feet without help even though Duke had offered. "However I'm willing to forgo it this time….get them on the ship." Hawk said commandingly. He looked at me "Doing ok?"

"Yes sir."

"Get what you came for?" Before I could answer snake eyes held out a small package to him and then waited. "Nice work Joes…get them warm." We were clutched together on the ship I was still freezing and I felt I could not get warm.

Snake eyes leaned forward and tapped Duke on the shoulder.

"Yeah man?" Duke turned to us.

[Tea for S.C.A.R}

"Tea for scarlett?" Snake eyes nodded. "yeah sure let me go get the thermos."

[Tea will make you feel better] he said to me.

"Home will make me feel better…" I replied. Snake eyes pat my knee. I shook my head.

"Snake eyes these are perfect just what we needed thank you." General Hawk emerged from the cockpit. "Going to have to increase your hazard pay…and start giving you hazard pay Scarlett."

"You don't get hazard pay?" I wanted to Kick Duke when he said it. Snake eyes didn't stand up when Hawk knelt before us. I turned my attention to Hawk.

"Glad you're both ok…we watched the plain go down …some villagers close by had seen your chute." Hawk smiled "glad you're both ok…you'll get a few days off to recover." Snake pointed at me then shook his head. "You're taking a few days off too snake…." Snakeeyes sighed and I heard it and smiled.

"I'm sure we can think of something to do." I replied quietly "thank you sir…next time we fly over anywhere cold I'm taking a parka."

"Good idea." He smacked snake on the shoulder and stood leaving the two of us to lie back against the ship. I looked up at Snake he lifted his hand in the O.K. symbol he knew the question was on my mind. I leaned against him and kept my voice low.

"I'll be happy to lay back in bed."

[I'll join you.] he signed under the blanket. [That is if you want]

"I always want." I reply softly and close my eyes, lying against Snake I remind myself he's the only comfort I have, and for a moment I'm glad of just his comfort.

The end.


End file.
